Avatar photoSteven Savage

When Tech Became Cool

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Nearly a year ago, I moved to Mac.

I recall it quite clearly when it happened.  I was planning a new Windows Box purchase as soon as Windows 7 came out.  Then I had a virus on my computer, which I managed to fix.  My wife and roommate of the time, both Mac users, had long been suggesting I use a Mac.

So after having blown an evening dealing with my first virus infection in years (apparently due to a PDF vulnerability), I began reflecting on the advantages of having a Mac:
* All the basic software I need.
* Great service and support.
* Much less viruses and such targeting it – and good onboard security to boot.
* Long lifespan.

This all added up though to one, important thing – less frustration.

I'm a busy person.  I'm a PM in technology, and thus no longer being a programmer, a computer crisis is not a Valuable Learning Experience.  I can't imagine what computer problems are like for people who don't have an IT background, though I can guess from the amount of times my friends and I play tech support.

But Mac is relatively frustration-free.  Mac is fast, slick, sexy, and gets the job done.

That's what I wanted.  That's why I got a Mac.  It's also a reason I hear for a lot of people using a Mac.

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The Lessons of Fandom: Entrepreneurship

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You can find previous articles on Customer Service and Business Sense.

If you're a fan, you're probably ambitious in at least some way – you've got fanfic or fanart, leaderboards to rise up in your games, conventions to run.  If you think about it, your fandom goals often take a lot of planning, organizing, achieving, and initiative.

If you're a fan, you've probably been learning a lot about Entrepreneurship.

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The Joy of Fansourcing

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I talk about Fansourcing quite a bit.  It's because it's important, because it is good for people, and because I'm blatantly trying to get people to use the term to promote the idea.

Now of all the benefits I've talked about, let me note there's one that is important to remember: Peace of mind.

Not peace of mind for the person doing the work – though they may get some from the experience or the pay or the thrill of doing the work.  I'm talking the peace of mind you get from finally Fansourcing something.

  • You know the work is in good hands and don't have to worry about the outcome.
  • You now have freed up time to do other things, and can tackle them.
  • You have the peace of mind of just letting go.
  • You have the peace of mind of knowing you made a decision to not do something.
  • You put the work in the hands of a fellow fan, geek, otaku, etc.

We often fret about things we need to do, we worry where they are in our schedule, we're not sure what to do.  When you Fansource everything becomes clear for you.

So among all the other advantages of Fansourcing, remember the sanity and clarity it can bring you!

– Steven Savage